Powerless
by El loopy
Summary: She had dreamt of being able to touch for so long. Now she has mere moments and there is only one person she wants to spend them with. Slight AU. Rogue x Wolverine. Oneshot.


**A/N: AU. Set after the second film but ignoring the third one. Rogue is a few years older.  
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Powerless

_Before the permanent cure there was a temporary one…_

Rogue felt the dart bite the back of her shoulder, and tripped over a tree root. A yelp escaped as she hit the damp earth. For a moment she just lay still, forehead pressed to the moist ground, eyes shut as she listened to the crash of their pursuers as they pushed through the undergrowth. They were getting closer.

The first ripple under her skin took her by surprise. It started from her shoulder and rushed through her body. Rogue gasped and wrenched the dart from her flesh, knowing already it was too late. As the second ripple came she gave a grunt as the almost painful wave ran over her again. With effort she dug her fingers in the earth and pushed herself up, crawling till she was concealed at the base of a tree.

The forest was dark around her and silent but for the noise made by their pursers, sometimes faint and sometimes close. The cool air, fresh from recent rainfall, brushed at her bare skin and made her shiver. There had been no time to grab any coats when the attack came.

Rogue grit her teeth to stop the whimpers escaping as the liquid in the dart set to work neutralising her ability. Screwing her eyes shut she gripped her knees to her chest and buried her head in them, desperately avoiding making a sound. It wasn't painful but it was uncomfortable and it was under her skin so there was no escaping it.

Finally the waves ceased and her body stilled. With relieved breaths Rogue felt the tension ease and ran a hand over her face. Now she was allowed to be afraid.

She was lost in a wood, separated from her friends, pursued by her enemies and powerless…

Powerless…That strong, beautiful word she had yearned to apply for so long. She knew now wasn't the time but she had longed to be able to touch, hug, kiss…and now she could.

"Logan…" she whispered.

The wind rustled through the tree leaves and nipped her skin, carrying away the name. Rogue shivered and rubbed her arms. So now what?

A twig snapped nearby and she froze. A shadow stirred a few feet away and with wide eyes she very slowly turned her head to look at it. It was looking back. It raised its gun, she opened her mouth to scream and something dropped from the trees, crashing into its back.

Rogue scrambled to her feet as Wolverine finished with the pursuer and turned to face her.

"You all right?"

Rogue nodded, keeping herself pressed against the rough bark of the tree as he scanned the area for more before finally approaching. It wasn't till he got close that she was able to make out any of his features.

"Close call," he muttered, leaning against the tree next to her, ears pricked for movement, eyes still combing for more.

"You dropped back," he accused gruffly, "what happened?"

Rogue swallowed, repressing the desperate urge to touch him.

"They got me…" she drawled quietly, "with that stuff…the cure."

Now his eyes turned sharply to her. "What?"

She couldn't help but smile.

"I'm powerless."

As she let him absorb what she was saying an awkward pause fell. He_ knew_ exactly what her powers prevented her from and he _knew_ how much she had longed for this moment, to be free of it, if only for a few brief minutes…and now she was. There were more than a few implications hovering in the air.

Rogue was amused that Logan dropped his eyes away and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Well…I better get you to Bobby quick then. We don't know how long it lasts…"

"Wait…" Rogue lunged and caught his wrist as he turned. Logan looked at her fingers, slim and fragile, wrapped around his wrist and met her eyes. There was an almost exasperated look on his face.

"Rogue," he warned quietly. "Now is not the time."

There was a flash, underneath the surface where he tried to hide it. In that exasperated look was the Wolverine trying to fight to keep her at a distance and Logan struggling to do the same. Rogue saw it.

"Now is the only time," came her whispered response. Lightly she reached out and touched his face with her fingertips. An almost hysterical laugh bubbled up and came out as a sigh of disbelief.

"I never thought…" she pressed her palm to his cheek and ran a finger over his lips, "...never thought I would be able to do this ever again."

Logan shut his eyes, briefly allowing himself to revel in her touch and then pushed it away and opened them.

"Rogue. Are you sure you want this to be me?"

She couldn't help but smile.

"I've always wanted it to be you."

Slowly she drew the stunned Wolverine towards her and slipped her arms around him in a hug. She leaned her head on his shoulder and felt the tension ease from her muscles as she breathed in his scent.

Awkwardly Logan placed his hands on her back, completely at a loss.

"You want the good guy Rogue, not the bad one."

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his top and clung on. Her face burrowing into his chest as she whispered, "You _are _the good guy. You always were to me, just maybe not in the conventional sense."

"Who wants to be conventional?" he asked with a dismissive air and an ironic smile. Against his better judgment he let a hand slip into the silken strands of her hair. He knew how enchanting the shimmering auburn of them in sunlight was, but he hadn't anticipated that the feel of it as he played his fingers through could send thrills through him. Marie made a small content sound as his fingers moved to trace light circles on the back of her neck.

'_Dammit, this is Rogue!'_

His fingers stilled as the thought niggled at the back of his mind.

'_Rogue is off limits. Untouchable…'_

Except that she wasn't untouchable…not in the literal sense. Not in that instant. She was only off limits because he'd made her so.

'_Isn't there some crap about teacher responsibility?'_

She hadn't been a student for a long time.

'_And Bobby?'_

For some reason she wanted _him_, Logan – the Wolverine.

Rogue felt his hands still and the uncomfortable tension seep back. Exasperated annoyance flashed through her.

"Logan if it's because…" she started but he cut her off.

"Rogue." He bent his mouth to her ear, letting the warm breath caress it till she thought her legs would give way with pleasure and she could barely think straight. "Rogue, you are…" No word could describe it. He struggled to try. "You have no idea how…" Again he trailed off but he didn't need to finish. Desire curled through every word. It was all she needed to know. He wanted her.

Yet he still drew back.

"It's just not a good idea."

Marie moved her hands to rest on his chest, feeling the solidness and safety with her fingertips.

"Logan, for a few minutes I would like you to be quiet and let the alleged bad guy take control." She lifted her head and looked at him with serious eyes, asking him to be the person that wouldn't think, just act.

Logan quirked his eyebrows and smiled slowly, decision made.

"Not a chance Marie."

He continued to smile as his fingers shimmered over her bare arms and he watched her eyes slide shut and her breathing quicken. He pressed his forehead to hers as her eyes opened.

"The bad guy wouldn't be able to kiss you the way you deserve." He pressed her flush against him and smirked. "And I'm a damn good kisser."

Rogue's heart leapt as his mouth covered her own. Soft lips moved over hers as he drew her deeper. He _was_ a damn good kisser. Rogue felt her mind still. She had never known kissing like this that resonated within her. They were sweet and intense. They filled her up but didn't fully satisfy. Shock flashed through her as Logan abruptly broke the kiss. Her breath was still trembling and her legs felt like they wouldn't support her.

"Logan…" she started, but again he stopped her.

"Trust me," he stated firmly with earnest eyes. Before she even had time to look confused he'd scooped her up in one motion and leapt.

Marie was too startled to scream. It lasted only a few seconds in the air, in which the claws withdrew with a snick, before the Wolverine crashed down on his victim, who had been levelling a gun right at where they were standing seconds before.

"Told you this wasn't a good time," he muttered wryly, stepping away from the body and shifting her weight in his arms.

"Seemed pretty good to me," Rogue replied coyly.

Wolverine looked down at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Well I hate to say I told you so…"

His head came up as he registered the proximity of another soldier, muscles coiled to spring.

"Better get back to the others." He glanced over his shoulder. "I won't be able to carry you so easy when that cure wears off."

A pained expression crossed Rogue's face as she remembered. It had been so nice to forget for just a while.

Logan started walking, ever alert; in the direction he said he'd meet them. His ears and eyes were on the surroundings but his mind was on the beautiful girl in his arms.

"Now what?" came the saddened whisper, asking the question he hadn't dared to.

"That's up to you." He held her closer to him, eyes dropping to sweep along her body before resting on her face. "I'll let you sleep on it."

Rogue sighed and cuddled up closer to him. He was right, she needed to think, when she had her power back and wasn't tired. She had to think what to tell Bobby.

"Thank you Logan," she gazed up into his handsome face and his eyes dropped to meet hers.

"Believe me," he told her with a quirk of his lips, "it was my pleasure."

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**A/N: I would like to write a sequel to this at some point but it might take a while for me to get around to it. Let me know if you would like one, and any ideas for it would be appreciated. **


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